Coastal Bend outdoors calendar: 07.08.12

Events happening in the Coastal Bend

The Port Aransas Boatmen Deep Sea Roundup offshore, bay and piggy perch tournament in Port Aransas is scheduled from July 12-15. Registration opens Thursday at the Port Aransas Civic Center. Registration opens at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Civic Center and closes at 10 p.m. Walk-in registration ($100) begins at 6 a.m. Friday at Woody's Sport Center. Bay/surf and offshore contests run Friday and Saturday. Piggy perch contests are scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Weigh-ins will be held both afternoons at the Port Aransas Municipal Harbor, next to the pavilion. A fish fish fundraiser is scheduled for noon Sunday followed by the awards ceremony. Online: www.deepsearoundup.com/Home_Page.html. Call 361-749-6339.

SHOOT WHERE YOU LOOK

Renowned Texas shooting instructors Leon and Frillie Measures are offering open registration for his next visit to the Coastal Bend. Leon and his wife, Frillie, have scheduled classes for Aug. 3-5; Sept. 7-9. If classes fill, they will consider scheduling weekday dates. If there is enough interest, Frillie will offer a ladies-only class on Saturday mornings. Men are not allowed to watch this class. All seminars run from 7-11 a.m. The individual fee is $250, plus a $70 range/target fee. Bring your own shotgun and 150 shells (six boxes). Leon teaches shooters to trust and follow their natural ability to hit a target, while eliminating bad habits and developing new consistent shooting routines and techniques. The course is divided into two sessions. He starts with a BB gun and graduates to a shotgun. This is for novice or beginner shotgunners as well as experienced shooters and hunters. Class size is limited. Instruction comes with a money-back guarantee to get your money's worth. Call Leon at 800-201-5535; email info@shootwhereyoulook.com; Online: www.shootwhereyoulook.com.

LAW ENFORCEMENT FISHING TOURNAMENT

The Corpus Christi Law Enforcement Fishing Tournament is scheduled for Aug. 3-4 at Marker 37 Marina under the JFK Causeway. This is a fundraiser to benefit local youth and crime prevention programs. Entry fee is $60 per angler before July 23; $75 thereafter. Cash will be awarded for the top three redfish, trout and black drum. Tickets are $10 for non-competitors for food and drink. Email ccleft1@gmail.com. Online: http://ccleft.justgofishin.com.

NATIONAL SEASHORE SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Padre Island National Seashore has scheduled a variety of park activities for adults and children through Labor Day. In addition, the public is invited to observe sea turtle hatchling releases, which are not scheduled far in advance, through August. Releases are scheduled for 6:30 a.m., usually at the Malaquite Visitors Center and no park entry fee is required. Call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163. Here are the times and dates of other activities: Night Sky program start at 9 p.m. July 14. Meet at the visitors center. Sand Sculpting: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 21 and Aug. 4. Learn from a professional sculptor. Meet at the visitors center. Beach Walks: 11 a.m. daily through Labor Day. Walks last 45-60 minutes to observe native plants and animals. Friday beach walks include a family activity that includes collecting critters in the surf. Deck Talks: 1 p.m. daily through Labor Day. Bring a lunch and join a ranger in the shade of the visitors center. Topics vary. 30-45 minutes. Junior Ranger Program: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free activity booklets are available at the visitors center. Earn a junior ranger badge through activities for kids 5-12. Call ahead if weather is threatening or with questions, 361-949-8068

ARANSAS WILDLIFE REFUGE SUMMER ACTIVITIES

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge has scheduled free activities for kids and parents from 1-2 p.m. each Thursday through Aug. 9. These Refuge Explorer programs offer a different theme each week. Here's the schedule: Saturday, Junior Duck Stamp Activities; July 12, Sea Turtles and Their Lives; July 19, Learn to Birdwatch; July 26, Identifying Tracks and Skins; Aug. 2, Mythbusters: Wildlife Style; Aug. 9, Endangered Species and What can we do to help rare wildlife. Call 361-286-3559.

BAY EDUCATION CENTER

The Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve's Bay Education Center is offering interactive activities in Rockport and Port Aransas through its Estuary Explorer programs, which allow families to explore local estuary and coastal environments. Program topics include habitats, plants, crustaceans, mollusks and more. Cost is $4 per person. Classes are limited to the first 24 visitors. Reservations are encouraged. Programs are scheduled at 10 a.m. on alternating Saturdays for families with school age children at the Rockport Bay Education Center, 121 Seabreeze, and for preschool children at the Wetlands Education Center at the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas. Call Carolyn Rose at 361-749-3152 or email carolyn.rose@utexas.edu. Online: www.missionaransas.org for more information.

POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE DOVE HUNT

Valero's Corpus Christi refinery has scheduled its annual dove hunt to benefit the Corpus Christi Police Athletic League's at-risk youth programs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Lonesome Dove Ranch. The event will feature a hunt, skeet and trap shoot, raffles, door prizes, and food and drink. Sponsorships are available from $5,000 to $1,000. Tickets are $100. Call Patsy Benchoff at 361-289-3104.

TARPON RESEARCHERS NEEDED

The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is recruiting local tarpon anglers to help with tarpon research and conservation studies in cooperation with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. Volunteer opportunities include the Tarpon Genetics Recapture Study, juvenile tarpon habitat identification, data collection and tagging. Interested anglers should contact SWCG President Mark Langner. Email mark.langner@swcgroup.org or call 251-622-1266.

FREE PADRE ISLAND SEASHORE MILITARY PASS

Padre Island National Seashore, along with 396 other national parks, has begun issuing free entry to active duty military members and their dependents. Passes are available at park entrance stations by showing their current, valid military identification card. Online: www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.

SNAKE-PROOFING YOUR DOG

Conditioning dogs, especially retrievers, to stay away from rattlesnakes is recommended for hunters who have not had their dogs vaccinated against snakebite. To check on the next snake-proofing session, call Tim Rideout at 361-645-8029 (rideoutkennel@gmail.com) or Jeff Brown at 361-793-1999 (jjb2977@aol.com).

INTRODUCTION TO KAYAKING

The Office of Community Outreach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is offering an Introduction to Kayaking class on the last Saturday of every month. This class includes instruction on equipment, safety, trip planning, self-rescues, assisted rescues and much more. This all-day class begins with a morning session in the university pool and an afternoon guided paddle trip in the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail. Top-quality equipment is furnished for the class. The cost is $100 per person. Online: http://outreach.tamucc.edu/kayaking. Call Joe Miller at 361-825-5967 or email joseph.miller@tamucc.edu.

The Laguna Madre Fly Fishers meet every third Thursday of each month for a fly-tying round table at Jerry B's Kayaks (361-937-5340), 9906 S. Padre Island Drive. A free Fly Fling is scheduled each first Saturday at Roy's Bait & Tackle (361-992-2960), 7613 SPID, with free casting lessons and fly tying. The club has regularly scheduled fishing trips on the third Saturday of each month. For details, call Steve Utley at 361-334-2336 or visit LagunaMadreFlyfishersCC.com.

LONG CASTING COMPETITION

The Shore Fishing and Casting Club International has scheduled several long-casting tournaments at Dick Kleberg Park, U.S. Highway 77 at Escondido Road in Kingsville. Spectators are welcome to watch current and future champions compete. Tournaments are Aug. 25-26 and Oct. 27-28. Call David Womack at 361-548-2476 or email dwwmopar@yahoo.com.